She's back......

Lulu is doing very well with her heartworm treatments. She is back to her old self, happy and full of mischief. We are continuing her training on the leash, and she has mastered the basic commands of sit and stay very well. She will wait for her food now instead of diving in head first.

Just Peachy

It was been almost 2 weeks since her last heartworm treatment. She is getting better and stronger every day. Much of her old mischevious spirit is starting to show again. She will go see the vet again this week. We will know more tomorrow....Stay tuned!

Walkie-Talkies

Lulu is now in her first week of heartworm treatment, and it has been very heartbreaking to watch her transform from an active, playful girl into a tired, trembling girl. We noticed a change in her almost immediately. She tires easily now and is very sore where she received her injections. At first she could only walk down a few doors before getting tired, but she was able to go farther and farther each day and can now take a good 15 minute walk (well, she mostly tries to RUN) without issue. Mom, Dad, brother Cody and Lulu meander up the street and back, just to give her some time out of her crate. Fingers crossed the next month of treatment goes just as smoothly.

Wednesday, May 28: The Heartbreak begins...

We took Lulu to the vet for her first heartworm treatment today. So far, so good.... Keep her in your prayers.

May 27: The journey continues...

Just because we haven't been writing doesn't mean things haven't been happening. Lulu, her foster brother Cody, and the rest of the Scanlans spent a busy holiday weekend hanging out with the family which included several young children. Lulu has proven herself to be very good with children. She is calm and doesn't jump up on them. Our 11 year old neice was able to walk Lulu on a leash with no problems. She cannot yet be trusted off the leash, but we are working to improve her recall in the safety of our fenced yard. Lulu would be an excellent addition to a family with children or an active couple. We keep Lulu crated when we are not home, but she has the run of the house while we are here. She has not had a single accident in the house, nor has she chewed anything inappropriately. She will need daily walks to keep her energy level manageable.

May 17: One Week Later

It has been one full, action packed, roller coaster ride of a week since Lulu was pulled from the shelter. Oh, what a difference all the good food and good company has made. She's still skinny, but her waistline is beginning to fill out now (as it should, she eats like a horse). I’m pleased to see she’s cautious and careful about new places, but not terrified. She has bounce-back; it doesn’t take her long to find the courage to give scary things another inspection, all on her own without any help from me. That’s an impressive trait considering she’s likely been chained in the yard her whole life.

She is adjusted very well to life in a real house. She loves having another dog to play with and is a sweet and spunky girl. Lulu has shown some food guarding behavior. Any person can touch her food, but she will snap if any animal walks by while she is eating. She is learning to ignore the cats, and she doesn't yet show any effects from her heartworms. We will start treatment for those soon.

May 11, 2008: A New Name for Gemi

Gemi has been repeatedly poked, prodded, petted (and don’t forget the bath and all that scrubbing) over the last few days since she came "home" from the shelter. She has never once snapped, snarled or fled out of pain and fear. She’s been nothing but sweet and loving. What a wonderful, tough little dog! There’s truly a precious gem underneath all that neglect. It’s time she has a name that really matches just how special she is. As of today, she’s Lulabelle.

She has been introduced to her foster brother, Cody, a 5 year old collie/border mix we adopted from Border Collie Rescue of Texas. She is also sharing her home with 3 kitties. We made a family trip to the park today to work on our leash manners and practice our socialization skills.